Ed Walker is hoping that his stable-star Almaqam can make a pleasing return to action at the Curragh on Sunday.
The son of Lope De Vega has had something of a luckless passage throughout his career. Whether it’s dodging quick ground or resting from niggling setbacks, his talent has yet to be truly unearthed as a result.
Walker is hoping that with a clean run this campaign, Almaqam can belatedly deliver on that promise. Speaking on the Nick Luck Daily Podcast, via Sporting Life, regarding his return at the Curragh, Ed Walker said: “It’s definitely the plan. He’s been in great shape and has a really good spring. He just frustratingly scoped dirty. A few of ours did in April-time and we just missed our prep race. Which was going to be the Gordon Richards or the Ganay. The Ganay would have been too quick ground anyway.
“It was a shame not to get that run into him at Sandown but he’s been training really well. Looks great and I think he’s straighter than I had him for his first run last year when he definitely needed it in the Gordon Richards.
“But he’s a big horse and will probably improve for a run. But he’s as fit as we can have him and has been away for a few gallops and looks great. I’m finally looking forward to seeing back on the track.”
Ed Walker determined to succeed with ‘disappointing’ Almaqam
Almaqam was beaten on seasonal debut at Sandown last season. He duly came on for the run however, beating the subsequent three time group 1 winner Ombudsman next time out. The form is evidently there to mark him as better than a group 3 winner, and Walker is keen to prove it.
“In many ways he’s become a bit disappointing, dare I say it. He’s actually the highest-rated horse I’ve ever trained and his form is exceptional. But it really dawned on me in Dubai when Fort George took on Rebel’s Romance who was rated 121. A pound lower than Almaqam, and he was the winner of $12million and nine Group or Grade Ones.
“Almaqam hasn’t won a Group Two yet. We’ve just been a bit unlucky. Last year was really fiddly with the ground, we didn’t have any rain all summer. He’s a big, big horse. We were trying to keep him ready to go but kept missing targets because of the ground. He also had a grumbling sinus infection which we never thought caused him an issue. But it was just a bit fiddly.
“So I’m hoping to have a clearer shot at it this year, a bit more luck with conditions and he’s a very, very good horse. Let’s hope it’s his year this year.”